A Dangerous Escalation: Trump Plans to Move U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem

December 6, 2017 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

CNN reported late Tuesday that at 1:00 pm, Wednesday, Donald Trump “will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel… and direct the State Department to begin the process to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.”

The U.S. embassy to Israel has been in the city of Tel Aviv since the settler colonial state was founded in 1948 in land that had been home to Palestinian people for centuries. For decades the U.S. has provided military, economic, and diplomatic support for Israel’s crimes against Palestinians. But it has attempted to appear as a neutral “honest broker” between Israel and the Palestinian people, and as part of this the embassy remained in Tel Aviv. Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital rips away all pretense of neutrality, and of respect for Palestinian rights. It is a very serious escalation that could have literally earth wrenching consequences.

Jerusalem is considered a holy city by three religions, and almost certainly would be the capital of any future Palestinian state. Relocating the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem will mean more bloody repression and suffering for the people of Palestine. It will more directly and deeply involve the U.S. in the intense conflicts which are certain to follow this move. It signals even more iron fisted measures by the Israeli government in their ferocious oppression of Palestinians, backed to the hilt by the Americans. Where this will lead in a region already embroiled in complex and bloody conflicts, mass impoverishment, and the dislocation of millions of people is uncertain.

The highly provocative U.S. move has been denounced by political leaders, many of them longtime U.S. allies, in Europe and the Mid-East. Three days of protests have been called by Palestinian groups. The web site Politicoreported that “At least two classified cables have been sent to (U.S.) embassies and consulates warning them of potential danger and advising they ramp up security.” Fox News reported that the U.S. Marine “Antiterrorism Security Teams (FAST) have bolstered security across ‘several’ U.S. embassies in the Middle East.” Israeli military and police officials have been meeting to prepare their forces for potential protests and upheavals. The Israeli police commander for Jerusalem said “Any second this place could be set on fire.”

As we wrote in a special edition of Revolution, “The state of Israel has functioned as a military bastion to defend and extend U.S. domination over the strategic area of the Middle East and worldwide—in the context of establishing U.S. supremacy over other imperialist powers. Israel is by far the largest recipient of U.S. support: in outright grants, military sales, and economic support.” This support has taken an ominous leap with the impending move of the U.S. embassy. Whatever develops in the days and weeks ahead, the interests of the people of Palestine, the Mid-East, the world, and in this country, are in opposing all U.S. moves to repress and bully the Palestinian people.

The entire situation is in motion and is highly volatile. Revolution will be reporting more as it develops.

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